Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Chicago
Devotion
Denver
The Heart of God
Dolores
Lent
New Haven
New York
A publication of
Oakland
DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH
and all the epithets they put on us, we know
Rev. Margaret Klapperich
revmargaret@centersoflight.org we only preach the subversive witness of the Beatitudes,
414.248.7405
COPYWRITER
Rev. Timothy Lin
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A Spiritual Approach to Illness and Health
by Mother Clare Watts
You can think about illness worries, our bodies will still likely develop
and health in a variety of ways. The some malfunctions. Then we will have to
Western medicine approach maintains that deal with ill health.
we contribute to our health, to some degree,
by refraining from smoking, by eating and There are other influences affecting our
drinking in moderation, and by getting health, too, such as the pesticides and
exercise and going to regular medical additives in our food, the pollution in the
check-ups. According to this school of air and the electromagnetic radiation we
thought, the genes we inherited also play a are constantly exposed to. All in all, most of
large, if not the largest, role in our state of the time, we cannot control nor figure out
health or illness. So, we are thereby at the why health issues come our way. What we
mercy of our genes. can do is accept everything that comes our
way as a gift that brings us opportunities to
Other people may follow the ancient grow and serve others.
understanding that our health is a
reflection of how good a person you are. In Unless we take our own lives, we will all Mother Clare Watts
this line of thinking, if you get ill it must live exactly as long as we are meant to live. is a mystic, ordained Priest, Master
be bad karma for having not been a good Illness and accidents don’t shorten our Teacher, and Co-Director of the
person. In many societies, this was used to lives. They are only the means by which
Order of Christ Sophia. She has
justify not helping those who were ill and we come to our death at the appointed
her Masters Degree in Counseling
destitute and self-righteously taking credit time. We therefore do not need to worry
Psychology and practiced as a
if one did have good health and ample about illnesses having power over us. They
means. do not have any power that God does not Jungian-trained psychotherapist.
allow them to have. So they must also fit Continually drawing from her
In alternative health and spiritual circles, into God’s plan for us. We will not live education and her experience,
a similar take on illness has re-emerged, one day longer or one day less than what including 17 years working as
carrying with it some of the same problems God has appointed for us to live. So we a professional midwife, Mother
that the earlier version had. We do know can relax and take the good health or ill
Clare has garnered a reputation for
and accept that body, mind and heart are health that comes our way with gratitude
her clarity of vision. She lectures
all in a dynamic relationship and that our and faith. Know that this must be what is
nationally on Mystical Christianity.
bodies are not separate from our minds best for us and that it therefore must be an
and hearts. We know that our bodies have avenue for being of service. She has four grown children and
a wisdom of their own that we often don’t lives in Dolores, Colorado where she
listen to. Even if we did want to listen to What a great gift it is to settle into such oversees the the efforts
them, we usually don’t know how to hear a state of faith! Then we can pray for and to expand and grow the
and understand them. So at some point, accept the strength of body, mind and heart Sophia Peace Center.
even if we are being very careful about our to embrace the gifts as they come our way,
physical well-being, listening to our bodies both the pleasant and the not so pleasant
as closely as we can, and have spent years ones. God is good. So all that comes from
clearing out of our hearts and minds old God will be for our good. Then we can be
resentments, old anger and fear, sorrow and in peace.
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Devotion
The Path to the Heart of God
and relevant aspects of our nature – our soul hermits. It means that we are in the world but of the Center of Light, Minneapolis.
and God within. Devotion draws us back to not of the world. She began her study with the Order
the heart of God. Devotion plugs us into the of Christ Sophia in 1999 and has
energy, power and love of our Creator. It is Unfortunately, we have a powerful inclination been serving as a Priest since 2002.
through devotion that we are trained in the to develop ego attachment to ideas, objects
She holds a Doctoral degree in
perspective of God. and people. This makes it difficult not
psychology and is currently working
to be “of the world” while being in it. We
as a psychologist in Minneapolis.
When we lift our hearts and minds to God need the help of ones who have done the
and we are drawn into the loving embrace work, who have come out of the world and
of our Father/Mother, we can begin to given themselves into the heart of God.
see things as God sees them. The human Real spiritual teachers have the skills,
perspective is so deluded and warped that consciousness and humility to guide us
it causes us to be in a nearly constant state through the snares of ego attachment and
of attack and defense. When human beings the distractions of the world to develop a
align their identity with their bodies, we place of inner quiet, peace and humility
have war, bigotry, self-worship, insecurity within ourselves. In this quiet place, we
and alienation from others. When we instead will come to meet God and we will be
align ourselves with the mind and heart transformed by the power of the love-nature
of God, we become compassionate, active, of God. It is then that we will know the real
self-responsible, humble and universally meaning of devotion.
connected to all of God’s creation.
Devotion, however, is not just prayer or
the honoring of God. The root of the word
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The Inner Meaning of Religion
by Father Peter Bowes
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experience the teacher demonstrated. Meditation and deep presence is the love of God animating the human soul. No one
devotion became the chosen way for a select few who were bold can experience this unless they are pure and unless they humble
enough to reject settling for words alone. They wanted to know their mind and body. When you experience this deep connection
personally the love of God or experience real consciousness. and embrace, you will never be the same again. You will know
They were willing to pay the price of getting out of their ego peace and never fear anything again.
attachments and entering into the stillness beyond desire and
deeper than thought. Only a few people have the courage to let someone who knows
lead them into this experience. It is available to everyone, but
God resides inside everything but cannot be discerned by the road cannot be found by the ego or the mind. The road
the conscious mind until our mind is humbled in order to be or path can only be found if you let someone lead you there.
brought into right relationship with the divine. Body, mind The humility required in order to trust someone to lead you
and emotions must be subordinate to soul and God Self. separates those who willfully want to do everything themselves
Discipline of the body, mind and emotions is a pre-requisite to and those who are allowed in because of their tested purity and
experiencing God within. All the mystics speak of humbling love of God. God is inside each person beckoning you to come
the flesh, desires and mind in order to open to something much close and let God lead you.
deeper and much more profound. It takes a hero of love to
journey inside where God resides. Those who go within only
part of the way experience some peace and stillness but do not
experience the embrace of love that real meditators and mystics
experience. This love that flows through us is so profound it
stops all thought and crushes all ambitions in its presence. This
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se rv ic es classes
Sunday Service introduction to meditation &
Open to All • Followed by Brunch christian mysticism
Not your average Sunday Service! Experience spirit moving Understanding the laws of the universe isn’t easy, which is
through songs, prayers, and powerful sermons that bring you why the Centers of Light offer six sessions that explore the
into closer connection to God — the God inside your heart, foundations of Christian Mysticism. Open to all, this class gives
inside your soul, to the God within. Each Service begins with an overview of what Christian Mysticism is and what mystics
a silent meditation followed by a sermon relating directly to do, and, most importantly, it offers participants a chance to
the spiritual needs of the community, finally culminating in a experience the spiritual world first-hand. There is no restriction
transformative Communion and personal blessing. on faith. You only have to believe that there is most likely a
power and intelligence that is higher than human intelligence.
Free of charge.
Daily Meditation & Communion
The beauty of God’s grace can be experienced with meditation bible contemplation
and Communion every morning of the week. We offer a 30
minute meditation followed by a reading and Communion It is a fairly common experience to read a passage from the
service, which is a wonderful way to develop and deepen your New Testament and ask, “I wonder what that means?” Bible
meditation practice. There is no better way to start your day Contemplation at the Centers of Light helps unravel the deeper
than to receive the love, light and peace of Jesus and Mary. All meaning in Jesus’ teachings by exploring our inner and outer
are welcome. life experiences and how they relate to the parables Jesus
taught. As a result, class members discover how these teachings
relate directly to their own lives and experiences. This class is
Evening Prayers open to graduates of Introduction to Meditation and Christian
Mysticism.
All are welcome to join us in ending the day with evening
prayers and songs. Community members from the Center
tree of life
of Light come together to thank God, Jesus and Mary for
the blessings of the day and offer songs of gratitude and
The Tree of Life lessons are written for the purpose of unfolding
thanksgiving. Join us in spreading light into the world with this
the soul alchemically and opening up spiritual consciousness
form of joyful devotion.
to the wisdom of God. Topics such as “What is light?,” “What
is love?,” or “What is the Creator?” are presented in a simple,
practical way that allows students to understand, discuss, and
contemplate their meaning. These ancient teachings are paired
with powerful hands-on experiences, giving students a tangible
way to connect to the reality of God’s spirit and power. This
class is open to graduates of Introduction to Meditation and
Christian Mysticism.
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sem i n a r s gatherings
master teacher seminars conscious movie nights
Seminars from the Master Teachers of the Order of Christ Have you ever walked out of a theater affected by a powerful
film and wished for a forum to discuss it? If your answer is yes,
Sophia are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to receive spiritual then movie nights at the Centers of Light are for you! These
teachings that can move mountains in your life. The old saying, monthly events provide the perfect way for people to connect
“one day with a Teacher is worth 200 years on your own” applies deeply after watching inspiring movies and share how our lives,
attitudes, and perceptions are challenged and changed. At
to these enlightening and life-changing events. Experience it the Centers of Light we dedicate the following films to non-
for yourself by checking the enclosed Schedule of Events or profits that support causes related to the theme of the film. This
quarter, our offerings include:
contacting a Priest at your local Center of Light.
MARCH Black Gold
Supporting Fair Trade
APRIL Climate Refugees
Spiritual Transformation:
Supporting The American Refugee Committee
The Way to Happiness
MAY Conscientious Objector
Supporting Center on Conscience and War
Many people fall into the trap of chasing after happiness in the
Our intention for showing these films is to bring awareness
external world. We become drawn to the allure of successful
to the challenges facing our world everyday. With this new
careers, respect from our peers, beautiful spouses and children, sensitivity, we gain the power to make conscious choices
but often the result is not what we expected. Why is it that even that help change the course of world events. Any voluntary
donations will be promptly sent to the organizations mentioned
when we seemingly have everything, life still feels empty? In
above. In addition, we dedicate prayers to these causes in order
this unique seminar, learn the true way to happiness, one that is to support them materially and spiritually. We invite you to join
simple and filled with the love that you’ve been looking for. us in any way, helping to change our world into one of peace,
justice and love.
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The Lenten season is a season of cleansing and
purifying. It is a joyous and deep season in which we celebrate
the heroic love of Jesus that has saved us from the sadness
and heaviness of our separation from God’s love. We honor the
gift of Jesus’ enormous love and sacrifice with a presentation of
love in return. Our fasting and abstaining during this season
is not a martyred deprivation, but rather a heartfelt offering of
love and appreciation. When we connect to the hearts of our
Masters, Jesus and Mary, we can feel how joyfully they give of
themselves for our wellbeing. We have the opportunity in the
Lenten season to practice this joy of giving as a reflection of
their perfect gift to us.
We cannot truly know the gift of Jesus’ love for us if we do
not make space to receive this gift. This space is created in
three ways. The first is by letting go of emotional and mental
patterns that make us unable to feel and accept the love of
God. The second is by sacrificing things we enjoy and fasting
once a week in order to honor and show gratitude for the gift
given, and in some small way, to join in Jesus’ gift to the world.
Lastly, we prepare for his gift by adding a spiritual practice or
commitment which prepares us to really see, feel and accept the
immeasurable gift of forgiveness, love and rebirth that is offered
by Jesus and Mary this season.
The more we give to the process of letting go, clearing out
and pruning the dead branches of our mental, emotional and
spiritual life, the more we are prepared for the new life which
comes at Easter.
At the Centers of Light, we celebrate this season of Lent on a
different schedule than other churches because we calculate
the day of Easter based on cycles of the sun rather than the
Lent~ moon. The Hebrew calendar is based on full and new moons and
The Holy Season of Death therefore Easter has been calculated based on the placement of
Passover in the Jewish calendar. Although Jesus’ death occurred
and Rebirth directly after Passover, we have found that the energetic and
symbolic meaning of the season is more aligned with the
symbology of season change than with the moon cycles. When
Jesus willingly died and rose again, he not only forgave the sins
Our fasting and abstaining during this season of all souls, but also demonstrated the ongoing spiritual pattern
is not a martyred deprivation, but rather a of transformation from death into re-birth. Therefore our Easter
heartfelt offering of love and appreciation. celebration, calculated based on the placement of the Spring
Equinox rather than Passover, aligns with the energetic patterns
and symbols of the sun cycle, bringing forth the new life of
spring after the death of winter.
We invite you to participate in the patterns of sacrifice and
pruning away of the old in order to fully experience the new life
that comes with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and
the new life he offers you in this season.
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Ten Ways to Participate
in the Glory of Spring
Spring is the season of new beginnings. The ice melts, the ground thaws, flow-
ers blossom and nature comes alive in a celebration of life. This year, decide to
be conscious of what you would like to have melt and thaw and what you would
like to have blossom and come alive in you. Here is our list of 10 ways you can
be an active participant in the glory of the spring.
1. Choose a negative habit or pattern and let it go.
2. Choose a positive replacement for this pattern and practice it daily.
3. Stop and smell the flowers, literally. Let the beauty of nature connect you to
God, the source of all beauty.
4. Find a charity that you believe in and donate time or money to their cause
every month.
5. Look for opportunities to demonstrate kindness to neighbors, colleagues,
friends and strangers.
6. Pray for 5 people or 5 causes of peace in the world each day.
7. Meditate at least 10 minutes each morning or night. Tune into the love, life
and light that God pours out to all things and let this love, life and light fill
you.
8. When the season of Lent and Easter arrives, participate by letting what is
negative die and what is positive and real in you rise up.
9. During Lent, tune into Jesus’ great love that motivated the sacrifice he
made with his death and resurrection. Let yourself really feel how much
you are loved.
10. Practice gratitude by appreciating all that you have been given and all the
goodness that is yet to come.
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Want to Learn More?
See our Schedule of Events on pages 8 and 9 for all Classes, Seminars, Services, and Community gatherings.
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After the darkness comes
the light.
Embrace your new life with
new music from
Father Peter’s latest album,
Day Breaks.
Available on iTunes.
Available at Amazon.com